Local Legends - Zero Carbon Merri-bek

Photo of women smiling and holding a bunch of silverbeet with garden in background

Community Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Lemonshare online marketplace for homegrown food

Inspired by Melbourne’s lemon trees dropping fruit by the kilo in winter, Coburg mum Lisa…

Donna LuckmanOctober 16, 2026

Photo with drums full of food in foreground and people walking into a room and scooping food into containers

Community Community Local Legends Local Legends News Waste Waste Local Legends

Brunswick Food Co-op

The Brunswick Food Co-op is one of the amazing community-run food cooperative or collectives we…

Donna LuckmanSeptember 16, 2026

Women standing in front of a house with solar panels on the roof.

Energy Local Legends Go all-electric

Electrify your home: Zavi’s story

For Fawkner resident, Zavi making their family home all electric is part of leaving something…

Donna LuckmanJuly 21, 2026

Three women sitting around in a park mending clothes

Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Merri Menders – helping locals reduce textile waste while mending clothes

The Merri Menders is a small group of locals who are supporting the change towards…

Donna LuckmanJuly 21, 2026

Photo looking down on a block of brick apartments with solar on the roof

Energy Energy Local Legends Go all-electric Local Legends News

Solar subsidy helps Brunswick apartment residents

Esther Stewart lives in a 1960s cream brick building of 12 apartments on Park St…

Donna LuckmanApril 8, 2026

Photo of inner city suburb skyline with an apartment block with solar panels on roof in foreground.

Energy Energy Local Legends Go all-electric News

Brunswick apartment owners band together to get solar

With the help of a grant from Solar Victoria’s Solar for Apartments program, Ed and…

Donna LuckmanOctober 24, 2025

Community News Travel Travel Local Legends

Wheel Sisters – Artwork Launch Meet & Greet

📅Date: Saturday 23rd August 🕚Time: 10am - 12pm 📍Where: Glenroy Linear Park (cnr Hartington Street…

Donna LuckmanJuly 21, 2025

Four school kids with hats standing around handmade sign

Community Community Local Legends Local Legends News

Students spearhead sustainability journey

Congratulations to Brunswick South Primary School as a finalists in Sustainability Victoria’s 2025 ResourceSmart Schools…

Donna LuckmanApril 30, 2025

Person serving a customer from a table of fruit and vegetables

Community Community Local Legends Local Legends News

Merri Food Hub – promoting food justice in Merri-bek

Merri Food Hub was founded in March 2022 and is committed to promoting food justice…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 28, 2025

Man standing in front of windows with remote control closing blinds

Energy Local Legends Go all-electric

Low and high-tech pathways to all-electric

In 2021, Mel and Scott bought a promising 1980s two-storey home in North Coburg. Like…

Donna LuckmanJune 27, 2024

Stuffed toy being repaired on a sewing machine

Local Legends News Waste Waste Local Legends

Pascoe Vale Repair Cafe goes from strength to strength

In 2022, the Pascoe Vale Repair Café at Sussex Neighbourhood House was trialled four times…

Donna LuckmanJune 27, 2024

Community Local Legends News

Share your story as part of Sustainable House Day

Be part of the movement to showcase your home’s sustainable features to inspire your neighbours?…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 5, 2024

Travel Travel Local Legends Waste Waste Local Legends

All-electric e-cargo deliveries at the Brunswick Tool Library

The Brunswick Tool Library has bought an electric cargo bike for tool deliveries thanks to…

Donna LuckmanJune 15, 2023

Women standing next to pedestrian sign by roadside.

Local Legends News Travel Local Legends

Andrea Bunting Walks On Merri-bek

Our “Local Legends” articles celebrate local people – often working as volunteers – shaping Merri-bek…

Donna LuckmanApril 24, 2023

Energy Energy Local Legends News

Install insulation with Council support

Maria read about Merri-bek Council’s support for installing insulation in her home in the quarterly…

Donna LuckmanApril 19, 2023

Local Legends News Waste Waste Local Legends

Pre-loved homewares for those in need

Rotary Inner Melbourne Emergency Relief Network (RIMERN) is a multi Rotary club project that supports…

Donna LuckmanMarch 27, 2023

News Travel Travel Local Legends

Hassle-free transport: Merri-bek e-cargo bike trial

Seeking a sustainable transport option for staff during work hours, Merri-bek City Council is trialling…

Donna LuckmanMarch 1, 2023

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Neighbours United for Climate Action celebrates Community Climate Action Series

Neighbours United for Climate Action (NUCA) is Merri-bek and Darebin-based community group that is all about…

Zoe McMasterFebruary 1, 2023

Energy Energy Local Legends Go all-electric Local Legends

Millsom family go solar in Coburg

Today over 9142 homes in Merri-bek have rooftop solar, but when the Millsom family installed…

Donna LuckmanDecember 28, 2022

Local Legends News Waste Local Legends

Clean up Glenroy!

Flower Jogiya-Mitchell started Clean Up Glenroy over Covid lockdown. During daily walks with her husband,…

Donna LuckmanSeptember 20, 2022

Tomato seedlings at Mulberry Community Garden

Community Local Legends Local Legends News

Mulberry Community Garden Glenroy

The Mulberry Community Garden Glenroy welcomes all to learn how to grow fruit and vegetables.…

Donna LuckmanSeptember 9, 2022

Energy Local Legends News

Selvatica in Coburg North goes solar

Selvatica is a coffee roastery and indoor plant nursery near Bunnings Coburg at 54 Gaffney…

Donna LuckmanSeptember 7, 2022

Katy and her sons standing in front of her home

Case Studies Energy Energy Local Legends Go all-electric News

6 months to all-electric

Less than 6 months from making up her mind to electrify her family home in…

Zoe McMasterJuly 26, 2022

Solar panels on commercial building roof

Energy Local Legends Local Legends

Terra Madre

Long-time staple in its labyrinthine Northcote store, in May 2021 Terra Madre upsized to Merri-bek…

Donna LuckmanMay 20, 2022

John Englart holding sign at student climate strike

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Climate Action Merri-bek

John Englart is an indefatigable climate action leader and long-term Merri-bek resident. Convenor of community…

Donna LuckmanApril 27, 2022

News Waste Local Legends

Reducing packaging waste with Wholefood Unwrapped Collective

In late 2019, a Coburg North resident decided to do something about food packaging. Gabrielle…

Donna LuckmanMarch 27, 2022

Community Local Legends Local Legends News

Fawkner Olympian takes climate action

Olympic racewalker and Fawkner local, Rhydian Cowley, competed for Australia in Tokyo, where he finished…

Donna LuckmanFebruary 7, 2022

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Growing Farmers

Growing Farmers is a community project based in Merri-bek. They aim to develop regenerative farming…

Donna LuckmanSeptember 3, 2021

Local Legends

CERES Fair Wood

Timber is a key ingredient when renovating or undertaking DIY projects at home, but few…

Donna LuckmanJuly 22, 2021

Community Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Fawkner Food Bowls

Fawkner Food Bowls is a local volunteer group enhancing food security and community resilience in…

Donna LuckmanJune 21, 2021

Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Make Brunswick Sparkle!

Early 2019, Brunswick local Sharon Rayner put a call out on her neighbourhood Facebook page…

Donna LuckmanJune 21, 2021

Community Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

On the tools at Brunswick Tool Library

Next time you need a garden mulcher, spirit level or a hand plane, consider the…

Donna LuckmanJune 8, 2021

Energy Local Legends Go all-electric Local Legends

An all-electric “Cheese House”

The Sesso Hull family of four make affordable and sustainable decisions wherever possible. Six years…

Donna LuckmanApril 21, 2021

Community Community Local Legends Local Legends News

Ringing the bell on climate action

The Brunswick Uniting Church rang the bell on climate change as part of a global,…

Donna LuckmanMarch 18, 2021

Women standing under a backyard pegola with purple wisteria

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Denise of Doctors for the Environment Australia

Denise Cauchi is the Executive Director of Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) and has…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 19, 2021

Photo of a man on a back deck of a sustainable house with raised vegetable boxes

Energy Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Dom’s sustainable home

Dom Mendonca has lived in Brunswick for 15 years and he has developed his suburban…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 18, 2021

Community Local Legends Energy Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Merri-bek Primary School, Coburg

Merri-bek Primary School in Coburg is a multicultural public school that is embracing sustainability action…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 14, 2021

An area of CERES with part of the Terra Wonder playspace shown amongst gum and casurina trees

Community Local Legends Energy Local Legends Local Legends Travel Local Legends Waste Local Legends

CERES, Brunswick East

CERES is an environmental education centre, urban farm and social enterprise hub spread across four…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 14, 2021

Marquee stall with native seedlings displayed and people talking

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Brunswick Communities for Nature

Brunswick Communities for Nature (Brunswick C4N) is a volunteer community group that assists residents to…

Donna LuckmanJanuary 14, 2021

Crowd of people gathering around market stalls under a large tree

Community Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Coburg Farmers Market

Coburg Farmers Market provides the community with Victorian produce direct from the farmers themselves. Every…

Donna LuckmanDecember 22, 2020

Women on a cargo bike with two small children on a seat over the back wheel

Community Local Legends Local Legends Travel Local Legends

Elvira’s cargo bike

Elvira is a Coburg North resident who has always loved cycling. However, when she had…

Donna LuckmanDecember 21, 2020

Moreland Bicycle User members holding a small whiteboard where they have written that they would like safer biking streets

Community Local Legends Local Legends Travel Local Legends

Merri-bek Bicycle User Group

The Merri-bek Bicycle User Group (Merri-bek BUG) is a non-profit organisation run by volunteers who…

Donna LuckmanDecember 1, 2020

Adult and child look at bugs on backyard plants in pots through a magnifying glass

Community Local Legends Local Legends

STEM Catalyst

STEM Catalyst run a variety of science programs and workshops for children in and around…

Donna LuckmanNovember 26, 2020

A group of people including kids holding a banner with the word NUCA stitched into it

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Neighbours United for Climate Action

Neighbours United for Climate Action (NUCA) is Merri-bek and Darebin based community group that is…

Donna LuckmanNovember 20, 2020

Rooftop solar panels on large university campus building

Energy Local Legends Local Legends

RMIT Brunswick

RMIT University is a multi-sector university of technology, design and enterprise that exists to prepare…

Donna LuckmanNovember 18, 2020

Four preschool aged children with shovels digging holes for native trees with help from an adult instructor

Community Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Little Sprouts Program

The Little Sprouts program provides specialised support for early childhood services in Merri-bek, and in…

Donna LuckmanNovember 17, 2020

A permaculture garden with a pink sunset background

Community Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Ecological Justice Hub, Jesuit Social Services

The Ecological Justice Hub is a permaculture garden dedicated to both social and environmental justice,…

Donna LuckmanNovember 17, 2020

Energy Local Legends Local Legends Waste Local Legends

Merri Health

Merri Health is a not for profit community health care organisation with health sites across…

Donna LuckmanNovember 17, 2020

A group of people sit amongst grasses and shrubbery while weeding

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Friends of Merri Creek

Restoring and revegetating the Merri Creek Friends of Merri Creek (FoMC) is a volunteer environmental…

Donna LuckmanNovember 17, 2020

Community Local Legends Energy Local Legends Local Legends

Brunswick Uniting Church

Brunswick Uniting Church is a Merri-bek congregation of the Uniting Church (Christian faith) with approximately…

Donna LuckmanNovember 17, 2020

Solar panels on top of an industrial roof

Energy Local Legends Local Legends

Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC)

The Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) is a national collaboration between key industry stakeholders.…

Donna LuckmanNovember 17, 2020

Birds eye view of the rooftop of Conga Foods building showing extensive solar panels covering the roof

Energy Local Legends Local Legends

Conga Foods/Pakval/DC Coffee

Based in Coburg North, Conga Foods is one of Australia’s leading private, family-owned companies in…

Donna LuckmanNovember 16, 2020

3 individuals clearing excessive vegetation and weeds from alongside the Upfield bike and walking path

Community Local Legends Local Legends

Upfield Urban Forest

Photo credit: Jane Holroyd Upfield Urban Forest is a community project that aims to…

Donna LuckmanNovember 16, 2020